Ngaio Marsh - Overture to Death

Fox went out and in a minute returned with Alleyn’s case.

“Have you,” Alleyn asked Templett, “as far as your memory serves, given us the whole truth in the statement you have just made?”

“I’ve given you everything that’s relevant.”

“I am going to put several questions to you. Would you like to wait until your lawyer is present?”

“I don’t want a lawyer. I’m innocent.”

“Your answers will be taken down and—”

“And may be used in evidence. I know.”

“—And may be used in evidence,” Alleyn repeated.

“Well?” asked Templett.

“Have you shown the letter to any one else?”

“No.”

“Did you receive it by post?”

“Yes.”

Alleyn nodded to Fox, who opened the case and took out the original letter between its two glass cover-sheets.

“Here it is,” said Alleyn. “You see, we have developed the prints. There are three sets — yours, the deceased’s, and another’s. I must tell you that the unknown prints will be compared with any that we find on the copy which Mrs. Ross has held in her hands. You can see, if you look at the original, that one set of prints is superimposed on the other two. Those are your own. The deceased’s prints are the undermost.”

Templett did not speak.

“Dr. Templett, I am going to tell you what I believe to have happened. I believe that this letter was sent in the first instance to Mrs. Ross. The wording suggests that it was addressed to a woman rather than a man. I believe that Mrs. Ross showed it to you on Saturday, which was yesterday morning, and that you put it in your pocket-book. If this is so, you know as well as I do that you will be ill-advised to deny it. You have told us the letter came by post. Do you now feel it would be better to alter this statement?”

“It makes no difference.”

“It makes all the difference between giving the police facts instead of fiction. If we find what we expect to find from the fingerprints, you will not help matters by adding your misstatement to the one that was made at Duck Cottage.”

Alleyn paused and looked at the undistinguished, dogged face.

“You have had a great shock,” he said, and added in a voice so low that Blandish put his hand to his ear like a deaf rustic: “It’s no good trying to protect people who are ready at any sacrifice of loyalty to protect themselves.”

Templett laughed.

“So it seems,” he said. “All right. That’s how it was. It’s no good denying it.”

“Mrs. Ross gave you the letter on Saturday?”

“I suppose so. Yes.”

“Did you guess at the authorship?”

“I guessed .”

“Did you notice the smell of eucalyptus?”

“Yes. But I’m innocent. My God, I tell you I had no opportunity. I can give you an account of every moment of the day.”

“When you were at the hall with Mrs. Ross, did you not leave her to go down to the auditorium?”

“Why should I?”

“Mrs. Ross told me you shut one of the windows.”

“Yes. I’d forgotten. Yes, I did.”

“But if Mrs. Ross says she had shut the window herself in the morning?”

“I know. We couldn’t make it out.”

“You noticed the open window, shut it, returned to the stage, and lowered the curtain?”

“ Did she tell you that !”

Templett suddenly collapsed into the chair behind him and buried his face in his hands. “My God,” he said. “I’ve been a fool. What a fool!”

“They say it happens once to most of us,” said Alleyn unexpectedly and not unkindly. “Did Mrs. Ross not mention at the time that she thought she had already shut the window.”

“Yes, yes, yes. She said so. But the window was open . It was opened about three inches. How can I expect you to believe it? You think I lowered the curtain, went to the piano, and fixed this bloody trap. I tell you I didn’t.”

“Why did you lower the curtain?”

Templett looked at his hands.

“Oh, God,” he said. “Have we got to go into all that?”

“I see,” said Alleyn. “No, I don’t think we need. There was a scene that would have compromised you both if anybody had witnessed it?”

“Yes.”

“Did you at any time speak about the letter?”

“She asked me if I’d found out — I may as well tell you I’ve got a note somewhere from Miss Campanula. I thought I’d compare the paper. I’d been so rushed during the day I hadn’t had time. That’s why I didn’t destroy the thing.”

“When you opened the window did you look out?”

“What? Yes. Yes. I think I did.” There was a curious note of uncertainty in his voice.

“Have you remembered something?”

“What’s the good! It sounds like something I’ve made up at the last moment.”

“Let us have it anyway.”

“Well, she caught sight of the window. She noticed it first; saw it over my shoulder, and got an impression that there was something that dodged down behind the sill. It was only a flash, she said. I thought it was probably one of those damned scouts. When I got to the window I looked out. There was nobody there.”

“Were you upset by the discovery of an eavesdropper?”

Templett shrugged his shoulders.

“Oh, what’s the good!” he said. “Yes, I suppose we were.”

“Who was this individual?”

“I can’t tell you.”

“But didn’t Mrs. Ross say who it was? She must have had some impression.”

“Ask her if you must,” he said violently. “I can’t tell you.”

“When you looked out they had gone,” murmured Alleyn. “But you looked out.”

He watched Dr. Templett, and Blandish and Fox watched him. Fox realised that they had reached a climax. He knew what Alleyn’s next question would be, he saw Alleyn raise one eyebrow and screw his mouth sideways before he asked his question.

“Did you look down?” asked Alleyn.

“Yes.”

“And you saw?”

“There was a box under the window.”

“Ah!” It was the smallest sigh. Alleyn seemed to relax all over. He smiled to himself and pulled out his cigarette case.

“That seemed to suggest,” said Templett, “that somebody had stood there, using the box. It wasn’t there when I got to the hall because I went round that way to get the key.”

Alleyn turned to Fox.

“Have you asked them about the box?”

“Yes, sir. Mr. Jernigham, Miss Prentice, every kid in the village, and all the helpers. Nobody knows anything about it.”

“Good,” said Alleyn, heartily.

For the first time since they got there, Dr. Templett showed some kind of interest.

“Is it important?” he asked.

“Yes,” said Alleyn. “I think it’s of the first importance.”

iii

“You knew about this box?” asked Templett after a pause.

“Yes, why don’t you smoke, Dr. Templett?” Alleyn held out his case.

“Are you going to charge me?”

“No. Not on present information.”

Templett took a cigarette and Alleyn lit it for him.

“I’m in a hell of a mess,” said Templett. “I see that.”

“Yes,” agreed Alleyn. “One way and another you’ve landed yourself in rather a box.” But there was something in his manner that drove the terror out of Templett’s eyes.

Smith came in with the transcript.

“Sergeant Roper’s outside, sir,” he said. “He came down with Mr. Bathgate and wants to see you particular.”

“He can wait,” said Blandish. “He’s wanted to see me particular about ten times a day ever since we got busy.”

“Yes, sir. Will I leave this transcript?”

“Leave it here,” said Blandish, “and wait outside.”

When Smith had gone Blandish spoke to Dr. Templett for the first time that evening.